If I could stop working today I'd never be bored. I've taken two extended periods of time off (6 months and 18 months) and both times the primary reason for going back to work was money. I had plenty of things to do.
I play music, have some pretty cool coding projects, am self-studying science, do sports, and have good friends. When this contract is up I’ll def take some months off, maybe another half year. Would have never imagined the situation to turn out like this for me, but apparently that’s the kind of guy I am. Born a work horse, distressed with no heavy load to carry.
I just wish I knew this during my working time, so that I wouldn’t had been such a resentful, selfish, prick.
Once upon a time, I hit my number,the FI mark. Then I had a kid. As soon as I had the liability of a child, I was no longer truly FI. I felt the walls at work close in again. It has much less to do with the work and the processes and the people. I think it is a sense of control and ability to leave, or lack thereof, that drives emotions at work. I can't walk away anymore and that makes it harder to tolerate the intolerable.
Sadly, for most people, they are compelled to labor in bullshit without any other option, and that is what makes people bitter and resentful. Which in practice severely curtails their productivity or capacity to try to positively influence the environment away from bullshit... its a self perpetuating cycle for most.
I wish I could have realized this when I had to work, because I chose to live in an existence where I caused myself and my coworkers suffering over the bullshit.
Being useful to someone was a need in me, but I thought I just worked for the paycheck. As the Jewish saying goes, “Man plans, God laughs”.
When selecting funds just sort by price and buy the cheapest ones, as fees (like interest) are a recursive (exponential) function.
In Germany I use Comdirect which is great, in Sweden I used Avanza when I lived there.
Now I’m thinking to maybe do coding a few months per year, and food delivery on bicycle for the rest, in order to get a work out and be useful to someone.
I realized, if I’m not useful, then I’m useless.
As you mention, this is a dream for many. My fears are literally what you described - I almost shut shop and left for my home country 5 or so years ago to start my own company, but finally decided not to because of variety of reasons. One of them was definitely rusting away alone. So I am looking to hear more!
Why do you think you dropped the ball after quitting your job? What would you do differently this time?
To you who suffer out there, you know that happiness exists, so it is rational to keep the hope for it.
A year ago, I pulled the plug, and retired. Finally, I could work on my dream project every day.
I did so for 6 months, and travelled, and had fun.
But the following six months were full of waking late, getting stoned (sometimes waking and baking), having a liter beer a day (Germany), being bored all day, and obviously falling into depression. Lounging around in long johns waiting for the evening so a friend would be off work and meet for dinner.
Then I answered a recruiter who contacted me about a job in a big boring government office. A place with endless dumb scrum bullshit processes (wasn’t it about having less process?), suits, good bye cakes, clueless managers, and all what I earlier resented.
But without that I was depressed. So now I go to my boring government job with a huge smile, and I honestly love the phony agile coach, coffee machine talk, and coding up things the stakeholder wants. Legacy code - what a joyous load to lift.
No one of my coworkers know I don’t have to be there, they just know me as the smiling guy.
I don’t know what to spend my salary on - I guess I can invest more maybe? I make sure to treat my friends to rounds at the bar, and concert tickets, and pay for dinner with this girl I asked out.
I learned that it is good to have something to aim your bow at, and a place to go every morning, and a heavy load to carry with your mates.